This afternoon's State of the State address is his chance to set the agenda for the year — and his second term. Back in November, a going theory among political watchers was that the governor would veer rightward in his second term to appeal to right-wing conservatives in advance of an anticipated presidential bid.

We challenged that conventional wisdom, noting Christie's strategy has been to position himself as a political pragmatist who gets results through bipartisanship. We suggested that he focus his agenda on a couple of key issues on which he could back up that persona.

• Property taxes. We predicted Christie would try to relieve property taxes by pushing for cuts to local costs, including thorough reform of sick-pay rules and increased use of shared services.

• Education. New Jersey’s tenure reform could be strengthened by stripping away seniority protections during times of layoffs. Christie could also permit the use of vouchers to attend private schools, building on successes with voucher programs in some New Jersey cities.

• The working poor. Christie’s decision to cut the earned-income tax credit in 2010 was indefensible, especially in the face of sharply rising poverty on his watch. Democrats might cooperate on other reforms if he reverses himself on this issue.

• The Supreme Court standoff. The governor should show a willingness to compromise with Democrats on his high court picks.